Good Things that have Popped Up in the Last Few Days

• I have a craft project that makes me look forward to August.
• My husband's school year is a-l-m-o-s-t over. (Ever been to a track meet where kids crossing the line lean over to make their time a tiny bit faster? That's how I feel...the end can't come fast enough!)
• I have excellent reason for confirmed hope in my professional life. Take that, YouWhoSmearedMyReputation!!

Things I Did this Afternoon

made a casserole
did lots of dishes
vacuumed
spiffed up two tablescapes
de-cluttered

woo-hoo!

Grocery List Today

half and half
red bell pepper
milk
cheese
butter
spaghetti sauce
corn muffin mix
ground beef
parmesan
garlic toast
pizzas
chili beans
chili seasoning

19 Random Things about Me

These are all true statements.

1. The words 'left' and 'right' confuse me, but I am very, very good at directions and navigating. It's called "Left-Right Dyslexia" and, no, you're not going to be able to teach me any mnemonics that will help me remember. The best ways to communicate directions with me are (A) pointing, (B) drawing arrows on your written directions, (C) show me on a map or draw a map for me, or (D) use the cardinal directions.
2. I am a sucker for weddings. I love them. But I'd not want to relive my own wedding day...once was enough for that much pressure!
3. I like murder mysteries. Law & Order, Columbo, Monk, etc. I also like to read Agatha Christie and watch David Suchet portray Poirot. However, I think that watching the Miss Marple mysteries (as opposed to reading them) is dull.
4. I didn't get my drivers' license till I was 17. No reason...I just didn't do it. The first place I drove alone? Yes, the library.
5. I do not like mechanical pencils. The leads break, or they run out of lead, or the lead slips back into the pencil just when you get going with your math homework...also, the lead smudges on my hand a lot. I don't like that! I'd rather have a regular, dependable, old-fashioned pencil any day. In fact, I think I was the only person in my Algebra II class AND my Advanced Math class to have normal pencils instead of mechanical pencils.
6. I am pretty picky with my writing utensils. Right now I am using extra-fine point Sharpies, but I go through cycles. I recently came out of a 4-year love affair with Pilot G2 Gel pens (the only gel pens that work consistently with my left-handedness). I don't really like ball-point pens (they call them 'ink pens' down here in the South), but if I must, I like blue Papermate pens. All the other pens (A) have weenie colors instead of bold colors, (B) blot, (C) tire my hand out, or (D) make my handwriting look bad. Once I use up my new colorful extra-fine point Sharpies, I'll go back to my true pen-love, my Pilot G2 Gel pens.
7. I found myself writing memos in crayon the other day (I work at a children's museum) and didn't think anything of it till after I passed them on to the recipients. I don't feel bad because they probably didn't care either.
8. I used to read the "Words to Enrich Your Word Power" in the Readers' Digest...but then I suddenly seemed to know all the words. It was about 10th grade, I think.
9. Growing up in Colorado, I used to hate humidity, but apparently I've acclimated to it. Last summer, when Ian and I had arrived back in Georgia, I was sitting on the dock at some friends' Lake House and enjoying being warm again...and some Colorado friends that were vacationing with us were talking about the thick humidity. I hadn't even noticed it till then!
10. Everywhere I've lived (Colorado, Covenant College, Hawaii, Harrisburg PA, and Chattanooga), people have said "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes." The ONLY place that's true is Colorado.
11. I like doing dishes, especially other people's dishes.
12. I hate putting things away. My husband puts most of our dishes away and all of our laundry away. (Seriously, since I've been married, I have NEVER put laundry away.)
13. Bad grammar really bothers me. And, since Bobbo pointed something out to me, I also hate when people confuse "yea" and "yeah." One is slang for "Yes," and the other is Rennaisance-y English. Guess which is which.
14. Sitting still is really hard for me. I recently found out that my learning style is kinesthetic, which explains a lot. I need to move around while I'm learning. This explains why I take so many, many notes during lectures and sermons and why I remember what someone says if I do something while they're talking.
15. Lysol gives me migraines. I can smell it anywhere in the building it's been used in, and it'll give me a migraine.
16. I can hear the TV's high-pitched squeal. It's the sound of the tube. I can hear it even if the TV is muted, even if the picture is blank. The squeal is louder when the screen is white, so 'tv snow' sounds terrible, just cacophanous.
17. I have never broken any bones.
18. Hearing a song takes me back to the first time I heard that song or whatever season of my life that song was popular. Always.
19. My mind is really quick to process. I can always beat Ian in an argument...so we have to take frequent 'breaks' when we argue. Sometimes those issues take days to resolve, but the 'time-outs' themselves aren't fraught with stress. At least, not usually.

Good news!

I have planned my menu for this week. AND written the grocery list.

Monday: Leftover Roast, rice, green salad
Tuesday: pizza and salad
Wednesday: Chili and Fritos, corn
Thursday: Grilled Cheese and (leftover) tomato soup
Friday-Sunday: out of town

Shopping list:
pizza
cheese
red bell pepper
creamy pb
pork chops
chili beans
canned tomatoes
chili seasoning

Housecleaning Music

A few months ago, I listened to my entire music collection to find the songs that made me the happiest and most energetic. I compiled them all into 4 mix CDs: The Housecleaning Mixes Vol. I-IV.

I'm listening to Volume 1 right now:
"I Need Thee Every Hour" by Randall Goodgame
"Angel" by Lionel Ritchie
"Stomp" by Kirk Franklin
"God of Nations" by The Newsboys
"Take a Chance on Me" by ABBA
"Klockar Aleksanteri" by Troka (from the Nordic Roots Northside Sampler)
"Ring the Bells" by James
"Millennium Celtic Suite" by the Chieftains
"Deluge of Mercy" by the Newsboys
"My Jesus, I Love Thee" by Amy Grant
"Testify to Love" by Avalon
"Cukas Drikos" (traditional Latvian folk song)
"Great Day" by Eddie From Ohio
"Boffyflow and Spike" by the Chieftains
"Escapar" by Enrique Iglesias
"Sit Down" by James
"Send Me on My Way" by Rusted Root
"Can-Can" from Moulin Rouge soundtrack
"Romans" by Jennifer Knapp ("I don't have to, I won't be condemned..!")

Wednesday's ToDo

1. Do Devotions
2. Vacuum
3. (Sweep and) Mop
4. Spend at least 30 minutes redding up
5. Think about dinner and get it goin'
6. Labor on my Unit Plan some more